Justice (Story Sunday)

The voices carried easily in gusting
shore winds and those listening unseen, felt the hate grow deeper in their
hearts.

"We report it's not that bad, that
it's breaking up, people start to relax. Stocks go back up."

"And then its business as usual,
right?"

"Yep. Ain't nothing money won't
buy."

Their snickers and indifference marked
them as the enemy, even if the yellow vests and clipboards had not, and the
investigators moved toward the narrow sea cave like foreign invaders surveying
their loot.

"How much you think the insurance
will cover?"

"Most. It's cheaper to pay premiums
than to develop the technology to handle spills. British Petroleum is paid up
for the next decade."

"Wish they'd pay those coastal
fishermen so the reports would stop winding people back up."

"Me too."

The oil inspectors reached the cave as
the next swell rushed in and their boots were covered in a thick layer of
rainbow sludge.

"It's still coming in."

"It will for a long time. Remember
to wipe those off before you head back."

"You too."

"Yeah. Don't want any proof it's
gotten this far yet."

The men moved into the dim, sludge lined
cave with uneasy glances and the sound of the water rushing in grew louder,
hungry. They began to measure and collect samples and neither of them noticed
the shadows getting closer as they talked.

"Guess the new cap’s holding."

"Pictures look good. You think
they're real?"

"I doubt it. The government only
shows people what it wants them to see. Once we say it's staying out there, the
news will grow bored with it and find another story."

"Hard to hide all those bodies,
though."

"It's just fish. The birds'll clean
it up."

"But won't it be another big
story?"

"No. In case you haven't noticed,
there's no one on these beaches now. Tourism here is gone for a long
time."

"Still, the residents have taken
pictures and the camera crews fly over all the time."

"Won't matter. Money shuts people
up. Just have to find the right price."

"Can't argue with that."

Between tides, the rising water levels in
the narrow cave were unusual but the inspectors were trained in oil, not the
ocean and the tugging, rainbow sludge was up to their knees before either of
them noticed.

"Water's up. Let's hurry."

"Wonder if that has anything to do
with the methane. Put it in the report."

Well paid, the two men stayed to
finish their observations and collections and the water continued to slowly
rise, rolling in but not going back out.

"Did you feel that?"

"What?"

"I’m not sure. Sort of like a
vibration under my feet."

"Probably just the water. It's still
coming up."

"Maybe but I'd swear..there it was
again!"

"I didn't feel anything."

"Something moved by my foot!"

"Stop it."

"Really, I... what was that?"

Both men turned to see a shape under the
hip high water, one that caused their mouths to dry and their hearts to thump.
A shark fin.

"Back off, nice and easy."

"Don't move!"

"Look out!'

"Behind you!"

"Ahhh!"

The oil covered shark tossed his head
viciously, reveling in the gush of fresh food, and then he was being pulled
back by the stingray.

"Stop. There must be proof."
Denied a much needed meal, the angry shark snapped at the ray and then whined
in pain as the manta stung him brutally.

"Enough!' They both looked to the
old, jellyfish floating in the oil stained water.

"Man is our enemy, not each other.
Drag them out and the crabs will bring them to the shore so they can be found
beside the black poison they unleashed." The huge Jelly was obeyed without
argument and the water in the cave slowly lowered, allowing them to wash out
with the wave.

"What comes next?" The Manta
Ray asked the Jelly and neon lights of concentration flashed under the waves as
the centuries old keeper of the water struggled to form thoughts through the
rage.

"Call the whales, the orcas. Any
that are left will come. We have to gather an army and drive man out of the
oceans. After that, we’ll talk to those on land, make a deal if we can. Surely
the air breathers are dying as fast as us."

"Can we fight so many?" The
Jelly flashed uneasily.

"I don't know. Until now, our world
has been unreachable but every day brings them closer to our homes, our
families. If we don't fight back now, we may not be able to later and I would
have justice!”

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